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Sustainable Operations

Companies can decarbonize key business operations—including manufacturing, procurement, and the supply chain—with readily available technologies at low cost. BCG’s sustainable operations consulting team can show you how.

Sustainable operations doesn’t have to be a company’s end goal. Rather, it can be part of a holistic effort to drive business growth. We work with clients to improve operational sustainability—reducing emissions across the product life cycle, increasing sustainability in procurement and supply chain, enhancing operational efficiency, and transitioning to the circular economy—while creating value for the company.


BCG’s Value-Based Approach to Sustainable Operations

Many companies are setting emissions goals or net zero targets and increasing operational sustainability to achieve them. Getting on the path to achieve emissions targets enables organizations to stay ahead of new regulations, maintain access to investors’ capital, and retain and attract top talent. Following that path can also bring financial benefits—savings from operational efficiency, revenue growth from market expansion, and new revenue streams—all of which help to offset the costs of working with suppliers to address Scope 3 emissions.

BCG works with companies to achieve emissions and net zero targets so they can stay ahead of a changing regulatory landscape, sure up access to key talent and materials, and drive lasting competitive advantage.

Here are just some of the ways we help clients unlock new value from sustainable operations.

  • Sustainable Manufacturing. Although most companies have set ambitious Scope 1 and 2 reduction targets and are committed to achieving them, concerns about incurring higher costs pose a major obstacle. We help companies decarbonize operations while improving efficiency so they not only lower emissions but also realize financial value and reduce risks. For example, by switching to renewable energy, clients can reduce their carbon footprint and insulate themselves from oil price fluctuations.
  • Sustainable Supply Chains and Procurement. For most large companies, greenhouse gas emissions from the supply chain—Scope 3 emissions—make up the largest share of their total carbon footprint. We help clients segment suppliers and engage with them to achieve the most impact—from assisting them in setting new sustainable procurement standards to incentivizing decarbonization. Our experts in sustainable procurement and sustainable supply chain consulting ensure that companies have a solid sustainable supply chain strategy in place.
  • Circular Economy. By transitioning to the circular economy, companies can help unlock $4.5 trillion of GDP growth worldwide by 2030. This paradigm of production and consumption will generate jobs, improve the quality of life, reduce waste, and create growth opportunities for the private sector. BCG helps clients shift away from the traditional take-make-dispose model and envision a new one that is regenerative by design.

Our Clients’ Success in Sustainable Operations

How Autostrade per l’Italia Is Building Infrastructure for the Future

Alberto Milvio, former CFO of Autostrade per l’Italia Group, and Concetta Testa, head of sustainability, share how the company is working to realize sustainable infrastructure. 

How American Tire Distributors Pioneered Sustainability Through Circularity

North America's largest tire distributor aimed to stop the wasteful disposal of used tires—and became a transformative model of circularity. Hear from ATD leaders about their partnership with BCG.

 
 

Our Sustainable Operations Partnerships and Products

We have exclusive partnerships with global leaders in sustainability—including COP27, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, the World Economic Forum on the Net Zero Challenge, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Science Based Targets initiative—offering unparalleled access to cutting-edge sustainability perspectives.

BCG also leverages a suite of world-class proprietary tools to ensure that clients have the data they need to achieve their decarbonization, net zero, and sustainable operations goals.

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CO2 AI

Part of our partner ecosystem, CO2 AI enables organizations to measure, simulate, reduce, and track their environmental footprint at scale—and to collaborate across the supply chain.

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Circelligence by BCG

A circularity strategy solution, Circelligence by BCG helps companies master sustainable operations by standing up circular business models and driving more value from fewer raw material inputs.

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OpenSC

A traceability platform, OpenSC is designed to verify claims about sustainable supply chains and responsible production automatically, continuously, and with the backing of granular and immutable data.

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Supply Chain Net Zero Academy

BCG’s best-in-class sustainability learning platform upskills suppliers and procurement teams so they can accelerate Scope 3 decarbonization and their journey to net zero.

Our Insights on Sustainable Operations

Leading the Charge in Aluminum Recycling and Circularity

BCG's, Øyvind Berle, and Hydro's, Bjørn Kjetil Mauritzen, discuss how Hydro is revolutionizing aluminum recycling and driving the sustainability agenda to create value for customers—and the planet.

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Circularity’s Time Has Come

Each year, we throw away nearly $200 billion of material that could be recycled. But companies can flip the script.

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The Lowest-Cost Path to Net Zero

By applying levers that reduce both carbon emissions and costs, industrial companies can generate savings to invest in further decarbonization initiatives.

Meet Some of Our Sustainable Operations Consulting Team

BCG’s sustainable operations consulting team has deep expertise in sustainable manufacturing, sustainable procurement strategy, ESG in procurement, ESG in supply chains, and more. Here are some of our experts in sustainable operations.

The Sustainable Advantage: Insights on Creating Competitive Advantage Through Sustainability